From DMG - stats for lasers?

[frankthedm]

In d20 Modern, you have to make a save vs. massive damage if you take damage more than your Con score.


The laser rifle does an average of 13.5 points of damage, which means it'll force the save for quite a lot of chars.

The much lower damage threshold does help the situation but even the damage caused by semi modern rifles [1920‘s BAR] cut through cinderblocks and punch through metal car doors and punch out the other side. To me that says 20 damage should be about the average a non futuristic rifle weapon should be dealing out.

Wood Hardness 5 10HP/inch of thickness
Aluminum Hardness 6 10HP/inch of thickness
Concrete Hardness 8 15HP/inch of thickness
Steel Hardness 10 30HP/inch of thickness

Unless a futuristic weapon is actually designed not to kill, being shot at by one should be avoid or die, maybe have a limb blown off if one is lucky. It is non conductive to heroic action that the d20system wants to emulate, but even in fiction and movies, when the big guns start shooting, even the hero goes for cover.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

The much lower damage threshold does help the situation but even the damage caused by semi modern rifles [1920‘s BAR] cut through cinderblocks and punch through metal car doors and punch out the other side. To me that says 20 damage should be about the average a non futuristic rifle weapon should be dealing out.

Wood Hardness 5 10HP/inch of thickness
Aluminum Hardness 6 10HP/inch of thickness
Concrete Hardness 8 15HP/inch of thickness
Steel Hardness 10 30HP/inch of thickness

Unless a futuristic weapon is actually designed not to kill, being shot at by one should be avoid or die, maybe have a limb blown off if one is lucky. It is non conductive to heroic action that the d20system wants to emulate, but even in fiction and movies, when the big guns start shooting, even the hero goes for cover.

In most movies with swords I see, heroes always parry or dodge most blows, too. Still, swords are not avoid or die weapons in D&D.
It simply doesn't fit the hp system. There is no point in using a hp mechanic and then making all powerful weapons avoid or die weapon. It might be "more" realistic, but that's absolutely not the point in the system.
But this might help: Hitpoints can also represent your ability to avoid a blow or a shot.
The only remaining problem might be damage to vehicles and objects - you could rule that bullets or laserbeams ignore certain amounts of hardness...

 

[TheNovaLord]

In d20 Modern, you have to make a save vs. massive damage if you take damage more than your Con score.


The laser rifle does an average of 13.5 points of damage, which means it'll force the save for quite a lot of chars.

Dont own so didnt know that. Is is the same in D20 future.

Doesnt seem very heroic or back compatible with D&D

makes hp less abstract and more like an attempt to make them real? 10th level fireball would rule, even if saved against most likley

JohnD

 

[Kwitchit]

I make all gun-type weapons, from flintlocks to lasers, simple. Their operation is similar to that of a crossbow, which is a simple weapon. Reloading may be another matter, though...

 

[TheNovaLord]

Most pistols (auto, laser, etc) tend to be simple in my game
Most rifles (blaster, laser, machine gun) tend to be martial
Exotic/complex (impulse, tangle, sniper rifle, rocket launcher) tend to be exotic

Some reasons are flavour, some are game balance (rather like D&D itself)

JohnD